East China Sea, Map, Countries, Dispute, Senkaku Islands

East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea in the Western Pacific Ocean located just offshore from East China, with the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Ryukyu to the east, the South China Sea to the south, and the Asian peninsula to the west.  The sea connects with the Sea of Japan via the Korea Strait and expands up to the north into the Yellow Sea.

In this article, you will get to know about the details of the East China Sea in detail for UPSC/IAS exam.

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East China Sea Countries

The countries that border the East China Sea are South Korea, Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the People’s Republic of China.

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East China Sea Map

Here is a map of the East China Sea given below for a better understanding:

East China Sea Physical Geography

In the east of China, a marginal sea is a part of the Pacific Ocean. South Korea, Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the People’s Republic of China are bordering nations. The South China Sea lies to its south, and Asia’s continent is to its west. Opens to the north into the Yellow Sea and is connected to the Sea of Japan through the Korean Strait.

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East China Sea Dispute

Directly offshore of East China is the East China Sea, an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean. It encompasses around 1,249,000 square kilometres (482,000 sq mi). The Yellow Sea, which separates the Korean Peninsula from mainland China to the north, may be found between the eastern tip of Qidong at the Yangtze River estuary and the southwestern tip of Jeju Island in South Korea.

The middle section of the first island chain off the eastern Eurasian continental landmass, which includes the Japanese island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, and the island of Taiwan, form the eastern and southeast borders of the East China Sea. Through the Korea Strait in the northeast, the Taiwan Strait in the southwest, and the gaps between the numerous Ryukyu Islands in the southeast, it is connected to the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Sea (e.g. Tokara Strait and Miyako Strait).

Nearly three-fourths of the East China Sea is shallow, with an average depth of 350 metres (1,150 feet) and a maximum depth of 2,716 metres (attained in the Okinawa Trough) respectively (8,911 ft). China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea all have access to the East China Sea.

Senkaku Islands

In accordance with Article 2 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951, which set the boundaries of Japan’s post-World War 2 territory, the Senkaku Islands were not part of the territory that Japan surrendered.

The islands were given to the United States to manage as part of the Nansei Shoto Islands under Article 3 of the treaty. According to the 1972 Agreement between Japan and the United States of America Concerning the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands, the Senkaku Islands are among the territories whose administrative rights have been returned to Japan.

China and Taiwan refer to the Senkaku Islands as the Diaoyus and Tiaoyutai, respectively. China and Taiwan both claim the islands. A group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in China, and the Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan are the subject of the Senkaku Islands dispute, sometimes known as the Diaoyu Islands conflict.

In the East China Sea, there are eight uninhabited islands. They are located northeast of Taiwan and have a combined area of around 7 sq km.

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China’s Claim over East China Sea

According to China, the islands have been a part of its territory since the dawn of time and have been utilised as significant fishing grounds by the province of Taiwan. Following the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was given to Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. China claims that the islands should have been returned along with Taiwan when it was restored under the Treaty of San Francisco.

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East China Sea UPSC

China and Japan are now engaged in two related territorial disputes in the East China Sea. The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands are at the centre of the first controversy. Japan is in charge of the islands, but China claims them. Japan does not acknowledge that a territorial dispute exists.

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Other Indian Geography Topics

Other Fundamental Geography Topics

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